Applicants have previously invented various systems and methods for establishing and managing subscriptions to items sold at vending machines. Such systems and methods and descriptions thereof that may be found in the above-referenced related patents are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
In some embodiments of Applicants' prior inventions, a vending machine control system may identify and output an offer for a subscription to one or more products offered at a vending machine. Such subscriptions may, for example, allow customers to purchase at least two units of a product, and redeem the units of the product at different points in time (e.g., one unit the first day, another unit the following day). Such subscription offers may provide customers with the ability to purchase the products (or units of the products) at a discount relative to the total of the retail prices of all the units. For example, a customer may be offered the opportunity to purchase a “subscripbon” to six (6) cans of soda, redeemable one per day (1/day), for the price of five (5) cans. Subscription offers are a useful promotion as they permit the vending machine to increase revenue in a predictable manner. Further, any per unit discount provided by the subscription offer and/or promotion may be economically justified by the guaranteed increase in sales volume that results when the customer accepts the subscription offer, and pays for the subscription.
In some situations, however, these and other embodiments may be improved upon, supplemented, and/or otherwise altered to address various shortcomings, inefficiencies, and/or to facilitate other and/or additional desired functionalities.